As the disappointment over the initial College Football Playoff rankings began to fade, the typical unpredictability of college football kicked in, reshaping expectations for the impending playoff selections.

The rankings took a surprising turn when Georgia suffered a loss to Mississippi and Miami lost their unbroken winning streak against Georgia Tech. This led to some teams improving their playoff prospects while others faced uncertainty in their quest for a spot in the 12-team playoff.

With three weeks remaining in the regular season and the conference championships on the horizon, there are still numerous opportunities for the rankings to shift significantly. The changes seen in the second week’s rankings were largely warranted, yet some teams feel they received an unfair deal.

Here’s a look at the teams that got overlooked this week:

Indiana

The Hoosiers climbed three places to No. 5, but they are still not fully recognized by the selection committee.

Despite their impressive undefeated record, Indiana remains behind Penn State in the rankings — a move that raises eyebrows. While Penn State’s only defeat came at the hands of Ohio State, Indiana’s unblemished record deserves acknowledgment, especially since it stands as one of the few remaining undefeated teams. Observationally, Indiana’s performance has also been more commanding compared to the Nittany Lions.

Indiana’s tightly contested win against Michigan — the closest any team has come to defeating them — alongside Penn State’s dominant win over Washington may explain this oversight. However, Indiana has consistently outperformed Penn State this season, and upcoming matches against Ohio State will test their resilience. If they stumble, they may face harsher penalties than Penn State.

Georgia

Georgia’s current ranking may be justified, but it highlights how even a strong team can be at the mercy of the new playoff rules.

The Bulldogs, now positioned at No. 12, are currently outside the playoff loop due to the guaranteed inclusion of the top five conference champions. To reclaim a playoff berth, Georgia needs several favorable outcomes in upcoming games. They find themselves ranked lower than Alabama and Mississippi, the teams that beat them, emphasizing how the selection committee prioritizes head-to-head matchups. For Georgia to break back into the playoff picture, at least one of those teams needs to lose, with the loss needing to be significant enough to alter their standing.

Boise State and Army appear to be the leading contenders from the Group of Five to secure a playoff spot, but regardless of their ranking, victories in their respective conference titles could complicate Georgia’s chances further.

Southern Methodist

Despite being the only undefeated team in the ACC, Southern Methodist has yet to gain traction in the playoff race. With Miami’s recent defeat, many expected a boost for the Mustangs, yet they currently sit at No. 14, while Miami remains favored for the ACC’s automatic bid.

Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech isn’t detrimental, as the Yellow Jackets are a solid team, but it places Miami ahead of SMU. The Mustangs’ only loss came from a narrow contest against Brigham Young, whereas Miami doesn’t have additional quality wins to bolster its case, despite similar shared victories over Louisville and Duke.

As it stands, SMU’s only realistic chance to secure a playoff position is by winning the conference championship, which appears to be a more challenging route than what Miami faces.

Army

Being undefeated as a Group of Five team does not equate to the same recognition as a three-loss SEC program.

Army advanced just one position in the rankings; it remains behind Missouri and LSU and was eclipsed by South Carolina. This came after Army secured a win against North Texas with a score of 14-3, displaying clear superiority without a blowout. Meanwhile, LSU suffered a loss to Alabama, Missouri narrowly defeated a struggling Oklahoma team, and South Carolina benefitted from a win against an unranked opponent (Vanderbilt).

Unless something extraordinary occurs, Army’s odds of making the playoff seem grim, which is unfortunate for a squad enjoying a remarkable season.